Check-row corn-planter.



Patented luly I7, |900. L. L. SCOTT. CHECK Row com: PLANTES.

(Application led Apr. 9, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l` (No Model.)

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No. 653,765. Patented July I7, |900. L. L. SCOTT.

v(IHEGK RDW CORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Apr. 9, 1900.\

3 Sheets--Sheet 2 (No Model.)

Patented July I7, i900.

L. L. scoTT. CHECK ROW CORN PLANTER.

(Application led Apr. 9, IBOG.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS LEONARD SCOTT, OE GLASEOED, ILLINOIS.

cHEcK-ROwCoRN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,705, dated July '17, 1900.

Application filed April 9, 1900l T0 tZZ wtort it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS LEONARD SOOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glast'ord, in the county of Peoria and State kof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Check-Row Corn-Planter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved check-row corn-planter, the object of my invention being to provide a cheap, simple, and efficient check-row corn-planter which is adapted to operate without the use of a check-Wire and anchors at the ends of a row and which mayv be readily adjusted to insure accuracy of its operations.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a check-row corn-planter embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a 'side elevation of the same, partly in section, on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the markers, their supporting-bar, and connections. Fig. liis a detail transverse sectional view showing one of the Operating-cams, a portion of the vertically-movable marker-bar, and one of the guides and supports therefor. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the driving sprocketwheel, its connections, the hand-lever, and connections between the latter and the driving sprocket-wheel to throw said sprocketwheel out of gear simultaneously with the raising of the planting and marking mechanisms.

The main frame 1 of my improved corn.- planter comprises the side bars 2, the crossbar 3, connecting the rear ends of the same, and the arched cross-bar 11, near the front ends of said side bars. On the rear portion of said frame 1 is supported a seat 5 for the driver. An axle-shaft 6 is journaled in suitable bearings in the frame l and is provided with supporting-wheels 7, one of said wheels being fast to said axle-shaft, whereby the vlatter is caused to rotate when the machine is drawn along. O11 one side of the frame 1 is a ratchet clutch member 8, which is keyed on the axle-shaft 6 and is adapted to engage a clutch member 9 on the inner side of a Serial No. 12,205. (No model.)

driving sprocket-wheel 10 when said axleshaft is rotated in one direction. Said clutch member 9 may be either secured to said driving sprocket-wheel l() or formed integrally therewith, and the same also forms a ratchetwheel ll. Aspring 12 bears against the outer side of the sprocket-wheel l0 and moves the same inward normally on the axle-shaft to keep the clutch member 9 thereof in engagement withthe clutch member 8, fast on said axle-shaft, and therebyalso normally lock the said sprocket-wheel on said shaft and cause it to rotate therewith.

The frontend of the frame l is pivotally connected, as at 13, to a planter-frame 14,

which is provided with the usual shoes or runners 15, the seed-tubes 16, the seed-hoppers 17, and a suitable Iseed-dropping mechanism, the latter being not shown, as it may be of any preferred type well known to those skilled in this art, and forms no part of my present improvements. The usual drafttongue 18 is attached to the said planterframe, and the rear end thereof extends to within a suitable distance of the axle-shaft, as shown.

A rock-shaft 19 is mounted transversely across the frame l at a point over'the axleshaft and in bearings 20. Said rock-shaft is provided at its center, in line with the drafttongue, witha crank-arm 21, which is connected to said rear end of said draft-tongue by a coiled spring 22 or any other suitable form of spring, andsaid rock-shaft is lfurther provided with a rock-arm 23 and a hand-1ever 24, the latter serving to enable said rockarm to be readily turned in its bearings and being provided with 'a spring-depressed detent 25, of usual form, which by engaging a sector-shaped rack-plate 26 on the frame 1 serves to lock said hand-lever and said rockshaft at any desired adjustment. A cam-lever 27 bears against the inner side of the sprocket-wheel 10 and is fulcrumed,`as at28, to the lower end of an arm or block29, that depends from one side of the frame Land the inner end of said cam-lever is connected to the rock-arm 23 of rock-shaft 19 by a link 30. The outer end of the draft-tongue being attached to and supported from the collars of the team in the usual manner, it follows that when the hand-lever 24 is turned rearwardly IOO,

the rock-arm 2l is turned upward, and being connected to the rear end of the drafttongue, as hereinbefore described, the latter is raised at its rear end, thereby tilting or inclining the frame 1 on the axle-shaft and raising the planter-frame, with its various parts and connections, entirely from the ground, thus adapting the machine to be driven from point to point or to turn at the end of a row. Simultaneously with this elevation of the planting-frame the rock-arm 23 of the rock-shaft 19 by drawing upward on the link 30 turns the cam -lever so as to throw the driving sprocket-wheel 10 out of engagement with the clutch member 8 on'the axle-shaft, thereby causing said sprocketwheel to be idle on said shaft, and hence causing the check-row planting and marking mechanisms to be thrown out of gear and to cease to operate, as will be presently described.

A foot-lever or treadle 3l is pivotally connected and supported on one side of the frame 1, as at 32, and is provided with a pawl 33, which is adapted to engage the upper side of the ratchet-wheel 11, fast with or forming an integral portion of the sprocket-wheel 10, and thus enabling the driver by motion of one foot on the said treadle or foot-lever to rotate the said sprocket-wheel 10 in one direction, as will be understood, and for a purpose to presently appear.

A counter-shaft 34 is journaled in bearings on the front portion of the frame 1, and said counter-shaft is provided with a pair of camwheels 35, which are fast thereon and near its ends, and a sprocket-wheel 36 is also fast on 'said counter-shaft. Said sprocket-wheel 36 is connected to the sprocket-wheel 10 by an endless sprocket-chain 37, and hence rotary motion is imparted to said counter-shaft and said cam-wheels when the machine advances, and the said wheel 10 is fast on the axle-shaft, as will be understood. Apair of vertical standards 3S rise from the frame 1 at points over the counter-shaft 34 and are provided with vertical guideways 39, in which operates a transversely-disposed verticallymovable marker-bar 40, the latter bearing on ythe said cam-wheels 35 and being preferably provided with antifriction rollers 41 to reduce friction between the same and the said cam-wheels. Said marker-bar has vertical openings 42,through which extend vertical guide-rods 43, that are disposed in the guide- Vways 39 and serve to sustain the said marker- -bar against endwise movement. Springs 43 011 the upper portion of said guide-rods bear upon the upper side of the marker-bar, and buffer-springs 44 on the lower portion of said guide-rods are disposed under said markerbar and serve to reduce the concussion of the latter when the same drops as it is cleared by the cams of the revolving cam-wheels 35. It will be understood from the foregoing and by reference to the drawings that the markerbar by the rotation of the cam-wheels is alternately raised and dropped, the springs 43% which bear on the said marker-bar, serving to increase the force of the downward movements of said marker-bar and the buiersprings 44 serving to reduce the concussion of said marker-bar as it descends upon the cam-wheels.

On the ends of the marker-bar are pivoted markers 45. Springs 46, which are secured to the ends of the marker-bar, engage the markers and normally sustain the same in vertical positions, while enabling said markers to turn rearward on the marker-bar in order to clear obstructions which they may encounter in the field. A rock-shaft 47 is mounted in bearings 48 on the marker-bar and is provided at its ends with crank-arms 49, which are connected to scrapers'O, disposed on the rear sides of the markers and guided in guides 51, with which said markers are provided'. At the center of the said rockshaft is a crank-arm 52, against which bea-rs a spring 53, which normally sustains the scrapers in the elevated positions shown in Fig. 3. A cord 54, attached to the arm 52, extends rearward to within an easy reach of the driver on the seat 5, and by drawing upon the said cord the driver, by part-ly rotating the rockshaft 47, may cause the Scrapers to descend on the rear sides of the markers and clear the latter of any trash that may be adherent thereto.

At the lowerends of the seed-spout 16 are seed-valves 55, which are connected to arms 56 of a rock-shaft 57 by means of links 58. Said rock-shaft 57 is provided on its front side with an arm 59, to which is attached one end of a spring 60, the-other end of said spring being secured under the draft-tongue, and said rock-shaft is further provided with a rearward-extending crank-arm 61, which is engaged by a lever 62, fulcrumed, as at 63, on one side of the frame, the rear end of said lever being disposed in the path of tappetstuds 64, carried by one of the cam-wheels 35. As the said cam-wheel 35 rotates the studs 64 thereof by successively engaging the lever 62 operate said lever and through the connections hereinbefore described operate the seedvalves 55, thereby causing the seeds discharged in the seed-tubes by the seeding mechanism to be deposited in the furrows in hills. The mechanism is so timed that the marker-bar as the same becomes abreast of the hills drops, thereby causing the markers to enter the earth and mark the same in line with the hills, the marker on one side indicating the lines of the planted hills and on the other side serving to indicate where the hills in the next nnplanted furrows are to be seeded.

By means of the ratchet-wheel 11, the footlever or treadle 3l, and the connections hereinbefore described the seed dropping and marking mechanisms may be adjusted, as may be required, from time to time and at the end of the rows.

IOC

IIO

In Fig. 2 I have shown a tension device (indicated at 65) which maybe employed to bear upon one lead of the endless sprocket-chain 37 and keep the same taut at all times.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with a vertically-movable marker-bar, pivoted markers thereon depending therefrom, and springs to normally sustain said pivoted markers in operative position in combination with means to operate said vertically-movable marker-bar, substantially as described.

2. In a check-row corn-planter, a verticallymovable marker-barhaving depending markers at its ends, in combination with Scrapers for said markers and means to operate said Scrapers, substantially as described.

3. In a check-row corn-planter, a verticallymovable marker-bar having depending markers, in combination with Scrapers for said markers, a rock-shaft connected to said markers, and means whereby said rock-shaft may be actuated, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

4. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination of a main frame supported on an axle, a master-wheel on said axle, a clutch to lock and unlock said master-wheel,a planter-frame y flexibly connected to the front end of the main frame,a draft-tongue attached to said planterframe and extending rearward therefrom, a rock-shaft on the main frame, having arms 21, 23, a spring connection between the rear end of the draft-tongue and the arm 21, a cani-lever to operate the clutch, and a link connecting said cam-lever to arm 23, all constructed and adapted to operate,substantially as described.

5. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination of the vertically-movable marker-bar having the depending markers, a shaft having cams to impart vertical movement to the marker-bar, an axle-shaft, a master-wheel on said shaft, clutchedthereto and adapted to rotate in one direction independently thereof, connections between said master-wheel and the shaft having the cams, whereby the latter are rotated, and means to manually rotate said master-wheel independently of the axle-shaft, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

6. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination of a marker, a revoluble cam-wheel to actuate the marker, said wheel having tappets, a seed-dropping mechanism, and a lever actuated by the tappets of the cam-wheel and connected to said seed-dropping mechanism, substantially as described.

7. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination with a vertically-movable marker-bar, guides therefor, springs bearing downward on said marker-bar, buffer-springs to arrest the descent of the marker-bar, and means to actuate said marker-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS LEONARD SCOTT.

Witnesses:

RUFUs H. JOHNSTON, GEO. W. SMOTHERS. 

